2000
#141,788
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Araghi
An Iranian surname often referring to someone from the city of Aragh.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 131 Americans carry the last name Araghi. That puts it at #146,495 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,616,445 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Araghi surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
131
1 in 2,616,445
Census rank
#146,495
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
114
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 114 bearers of the surname Araghi in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 146495th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Araghi, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.4%) and Hispanic (2.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Araghi
The surname Araghi originates from the Middle East, specifically the region of Persia, which is now modern-day Iran. It dates back to the 7th century AD, during the early years of the Islamic caliphate. The name is derived from the Persian word "Aragh," which means "sweat" or "perspiration," suggesting a possible connection to physical labor or a profession involving strenuous work.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Araghi can be found in the "Tarikh-e Beyhaghi," a historical work written in the 11th century by Abu'l-Fazl Beyhaqi, a prominent Persian historian. The text mentions an individual named Ahmed ibn Araghi, who served as a military commander during the reign of the Ghaznavid dynasty.
In the 13th century, a renowned Persian poet named Amir Araghi flourished during the Seljuk Empire. His literary works were celebrated for their profound insights and eloquent expression, and he is often referred to as one of the greatest poets of the Seljuk era.
The Araghi surname also appears in various historical documents from the Safavid dynasty, which ruled Persia from the 16th to the 18th century. One notable figure was Mirza Araghi, a skilled calligrapher and artist who was highly regarded for his intricate and beautiful calligraphic works.
During the Qajar dynasty, which ruled Persia from the late 18th to the early 20th century, the Araghi surname continued to be prevalent. A prominent figure from this period was Mirza Hassan Araghi, a renowned scholar and theologian who made significant contributions to Islamic jurisprudence and philosophy.
In more recent times, a famous Iranian-American astrophysicist and author named Nasser Araghi, born in 1937, has gained recognition for his work in theoretical physics and his writings on the cosmos and the nature of reality.
Throughout its long history, the surname Araghi has been associated with various professions, including military commanders, poets, artists, calligraphers, scholars, and scientists, reflecting the rich cultural heritage of Persia and the diverse talents and achievements of those who bore this distinguished name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Araghi
Among Census respondents with the surname Araghi, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.4%) and Hispanic (2.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Araghi bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Araghi surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.4% · 103
- Two or more races4.4% · 5
- Hispanic or Latino2.6% · 3
- Black or African American1.8% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Araghi
Araghi appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#143,149
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
+8 bearers (+7.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 1,361 places
2020
#146,495
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
-2 bearers (-1.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 3,346 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #141,788 | 108 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #143,149 | 116 | 0.04 | +8 bearers (+7.4%) | Down 1,361 places |
| 2020 | #146,495 | 114 | 0.04 | -2 bearers (-1.7%) | Down 3,346 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Araghi surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #143,149 | #146,495 | -2.3% |
| Count | 116 | 114 | -1.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -4.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Araghi bearers went from 116 to 114 (-1.7% change). The surname moved down 3,346 positions in the national ranking, going from #143,149 to #146,495.
FAQ
Araghi surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Araghi?
Name Census estimates that about 131 living Americans carry the surname Araghi. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,616,445 residents.
How common is Araghi?
Araghi ranks #146,495 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 114 people with the surname Araghi. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (131), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Araghi.
Has Araghi become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Araghi went from 116 recorded bearers to 114. That is a decrease of 2 (-1.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #143,149 to #146,495.
What does the Census say about the background of Araghi?
Among Census respondents with the surname Araghi, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.4%) and Hispanic (2.6%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Araghi in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.4% (103 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Araghi appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.4%), Two or More Races (4.4%), Hispanic (2.6%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Araghi (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Araghi mean?
An Iranian surname often referring to someone from the city of Aragh. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Araghi (0.04 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many Americans have the surname Araghi?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.